Recently released Adspend figures show that Mobile spend more than doubled in 2012 to £526 million. With the Internet Advertising Bureau reporting that the second half of the year saw higher growth than the first half, we are surely now in the midst of a mobile revolution.
The growth in mobile can be partly attributed to the growth of smartphone ownership in the UK, with six out of 10 UK residents owning one in January 2013 according to eDigitalResearch. This growth has allowed advertisers to reach and engage with an ‘on the move’ population through targeted messages.
With mobile growth looking set to continue in 2013 it’s up to advertisers and phone manufacturers to ensure that opportunities are there for further innovations in the market. The creation of Weve in early 2013 was a signal of intent by manufacturers to ensure their technologies are capable of keeping up with consumer and advertiser needs. Weve is a mobile commerce platform co-created by EE, O2 and Vodafone that allows consumers to use their phones as an extension of their wallets.
There are still question marks around mobile display with spend totalling £150m in 2012 compared to a very strong £365m in mobile search across the same period is this is 2013?? The launch of the Facebook phone this year could have a positive impact on display sales with increased opportunities for personal targeted messages. I think this needs rephrasing I don’t know what the point it is trying to get across is?
MEC Opinion
There can no longer be any doubts on the importance of mobile advertising within any media mix. The strong results in 2012 and the expected growth in 2013 show that consumers are engaging with mobile advertising now more than ever. This is good news for media planners/buyers as it means there are now more opportunities to use mobile to enhance any media campaign and allow better access to a younger active audience. Developments in location based targeting and personal messaging will help clients to tailor their campaign messages to the individual and should increase campaign efficiencies.